Fully autonomous in-vivo devices for the diagnostic and/or imaging of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as the PillCam® capsule endoscopes, are propelled by natural peristaltic forces and thus pass naturally in the body while delivering data collected therein, including, for example, images, to an external receiver. However, the physician has no control over the motion of these autonomous medical devices. As a result, for instance, an autonomous in-vivo imaging device may have to acquire a large number of images as it traverses the GI tract, many of which are not images of pathological regions of interest, just to be able to acquire among them images of a pathological regions of interest. The surplus images may deplete the device's energy source and extend the time required by a user for browsing and sorting the images.
The uncontrolled motion of the autonomous in-vivo medical device may become a problem when longer observation, diagnostics and treatment of a specific location along the GI tract is desired. The physician might not wish to fully rely upon the natural peristaltic forces that are uncontrollable by an operator.
Thus, holding the in-vivo device at a desired location for a certain period of time may be critical for definitive diagnosis and/or treatment of various pathological areas.
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,979, which is entitled “Immobilizable In-Vivo Sensing Device” and assigned to the common assignee of the present invention, describes an in-vivo device that is anchored to the lower esophagus by a special pin and monitors the reflux for a few days. The pinned tissue becomes necrotic after a few days, and the in-vivo device detaches itself from the esophagus and is naturally discharged.
The U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0143624, which is entitled “Immobilizable In-Vivo Imager with Moveable Focusing mechanism” and also assigned to the common assignee of the present invention, relates to a system, method and device for immobilizing an imager in-vivo and/or focusing images on the imager reflected from an in-vivo site to be monitored. The device described in the above publication may include one or more immobilizing units, such as rotatable clasps, a gluing tube and vacuum pads, that may hold or secure the device to endolumenal surfaces, for example.
A further example of an immobilized in-vivo sensing device that can be used, for example, for monitoring imaging or biliary manipulations, and liver biopsy without the use of a conventional laparoscopy and imaging of subhepatic structures inaccessible to laparoscopy, is described in the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0312502, which is assigned to the common assignee of the present invention. The publication suggests using the transabdominal and peritoneal attachment methods for immobilization of the in-vivo device.
The U.S. Patent Application Publications No. 2006/0004255, entitled “In-Vivo Sensing System”, and No. 2002/0042562, entitled “Immobilizable In-Vivo Sensing Device”, both assigned to the common assignee of the present invention, suggest affixing the housing of the in-vivo device by way of, for example, clasps. Constituents such as fasteners, glue, thread or fiber attached to the housing with one or more rings or indentations may be used. The publications also suggest using anchors to attach the device to an internal body tissue. The anchors, which typically extend from the housing of the device, may include fasteners, which grasp the body tissue. The fasteners, such as for example, pins, screws, suction cups, or clasps, may hold on to a section of the tissue by, for example, slightly piercing or pinching the tissue, through suction.
The above mentioned anchoring mechanisms, however, may risk damage to tissue or may encounter a problem of obstruction of the device in the GI tract in the event of its malfunction.